YouMail, a visual voicemail management app has suddely disappeared from the Android Market, nowhere to be found. The app continues to be available for iPhone users but, according to a GigaOM report was removed from the Android Market at the request of T-mobile. Kevin Tofel for GigaOM spoke with YouMail CEO Alex Quilici who was only informed the app had been pulled by users of the app itself who complained they could no longer find the software. Later on a message was discovered by Quilici from Google “explaining” why the app was removed:

“It has come to our attention that this application could be used in a way that is harmful to devices, networks or users. Specifically, we have received a complaint from T-Mobile that this application is causing adverse network disruption. We encourage you to contact T-Mobile to negotiate a revision and/or agreement to republish this application and update your existing users.”

Quilici denied that T-Mobile had attempted to contact YouMail to discuss the matter and has not heard of any similar complaints from other wireless carriers who allow and use YouMail. Quilici says YouMail has handled over a billion calls and has well over a million users and has taken to the YouMail blog to vent his frustration:

“We hate to think this is simply anti-competitive behavior on T-Mobile’s part- simply because we’ve produced an innovative and dramatically better voicemail product than they offer, and that’s free on top of it. Especially given they are trying to finish their acquisition by AT&T .But we’re hard-pressed to understand their behavior. Wouldn’t we all be much better off if T-Mobile instead took an approach like the other carriers and tried to see how they could benefit from the success we’ve been having with YouMail?”

And the “guilty until proven innocent” doesn’t speak well for the Android Marketplace either. At a minimum, if one carrier complains, why not simply turn off the app for that carrier – it’s only one checkbox – versus suspending it from anyone?

T-Mobile has yet to comment on the matter and we hope there is a perfectly good explanation for this. Otherwise, T-Mobile is bound to look like the bad guy and YouMail like the innocent victim whose app suffered at the hands of the big bad carrier.

About David Beren

David is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TmoNews.com. He considers himself a Jedi Knight, capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound and a connoisseur of fine cell phones. He has been involved in the wireless industry since 2003 and has been known to swap out phones far too many times in any given year. Should you wish to contact him, you can do so: david@tmonews.com.

Or….rather than complaining like a 2 year old….YouMail could reach out to T-Mo and see what adverse effects their poorly coded application is having on the T-mo network. Just saying.

Dpro

Really, do you know its poorly coded? I mean I know your SN is DroidDev but honestly Google has put out as much poorly coded Android Software themselves for example it took to 2.2 for Android to start to work decently. It would kinda be the pot calling the kettle black. IMO

It could be poorly coded, though to just post what you write above is blindly assuming T Mobile is golden.

I think this is heavy handed on T Mobiles part because guess what they have? Visual voice mail! Which is not nearly as advanced as YouMail. I would hazard to guess this is just more of T Mobile trying to play like AT&T. Lots of T Mobiles actions in recent months have looked less like the T Mobile of old and more like the company they are trying to get sold to.

To quote you “Just Saying” LOL

Dpro

Oh and I am not anti T Mobile I just don’t run around with blinders on. I see the changes in their actions. It is just another disappointing example of what T Mobile is turning into vs what they once were.

Anonymous

Thank you! Everyone comes on here giving T-Mobile the “Hail Mary” and act as if their actions (from a business and customer service perspective) haven’t changed at all.

Leroyjabari

Ok Tmobile Employee 45533

Poconopixie

Why would it be an “anti-competitive” action? T-Mobile’s Visual Voicemail service is free, so it’s not like they would be losing anything if a customer didn’t use it.

Anonymous

Yes but their app is absolutely hideous to look at. I used it up until Google Voice and then I never looked back…

http://MobileGenius.wordpress.com JM

So, what adverse effects is this application having on their network?

Wireless_oneder

Didn’t have the app before. So I downloaded it from the Amazon app store.

http://www.joshrobertnay.com Respawn

If they complained about YouMail, then why didn’t they complain about Google Voice? Seriously, I use GV and I’ve used YouMail in the past. Not much of a difference between the two that I could see.

Anonymous

Why would they complain about Google’s own product? That’s shooting themselves in the foot, don’t you think?

Anonymous

Because Google would have laughed in their face…

This is happening because it benefits both parties (Google and T-Mobile) if YouMail goes away. Google also gets to rid itself of a competitor, with the added bonus of all the blame falling on T-Mobile.

It’s a WIN-WIN for the both of them…when people complain, just tell them to use Google Voice, or T-Mobile’s visual voicemail.

http://www.joshrobertnay.com Respawn

Yeah, that does make sense. Corrupt and greedy corporations.

not a clown

T-Mobile visual voice mail is free… try again Quilici. Clown.

Anonymous

T-Mobile’s visual voicemail does not come close to offering the same features as YouMail.

YouMail does transcription, allows you to set customized greeting depending on contact, block callers by number, and gives you access to your voicemail at their website, FOR FREE!

T-Mobile wants to charge you an extra monthly fee for transcription and doesn’t offer the other features.

The main thing that is wrong about this is that YouMail does nothing different than Google Voice, so why was it singled out? Of course we know why…it’s because T-Mobile thinks that people will pay them that fee, if they can’t use YouMail, and aren’t using Google Voice. They dare not ask Google to block access to Google Voice, so they went after the competitor that had the least power to fight.

joel

YouMail is a real good app as far as from a user perspective. They have been battling tmobile on sending texts when you get a voicemail, or have a missed call. Tmobile has blocked their texts for months . It’s a shame, I have not found a better call management app.

Michael Prentice

That’s lame. I wish that I could use texting in Google Voice rather than having to go through TMO’s system. But it looks like they must be pretty serious about their banning of those types of apps. Ugh.

BigMixxx

Google Voice is much better. It’s the only reasons I got rid of my youmail account…

Anonymous

I completely agree. YouMail was great in Beta since everything was free, then they went live and nickle & dimed the customer for things that Google Voice still provides for free (ex: Transcription). Glad PDA4T’s explanation above, too! Clarify’s TMO’s point. It is valid & can simply be fixed on YouMail’s end.

sweetthang

Does it do the same thing as youmail.

BigMixxx

Close. There is no personalization for the caller. Big advantage is that while u can just use voicemail, you can also use the number….

Pda4tmobile

Customer download youmail, customers calls are set up to forward to an youmail server. Customer uninstalls youmail OR forgets they installed. Now customer is unable to check their voicemail. SO customer has to call tmobile to get it fixed. This costs tmobile money and extends your wait times. I know as I take the call all the time.

Google voice does the same thing, EXEPT when it uninstalls it automatically goes back to the tmobile voicemail system.

Fix: Youmail needs to adopt what google voice already does.

UnifiedConsumerRevolution

Take note of what happened when NetFlix tried to increase it’s prices. Customers fled, the stock dropped a hell of a lot, and NetFlix reversed it’s policy. I’m sure that CEO or COO is still pulling investor boot out of his a**. Behold the power of the consumer. We should/can dictate what we want on our phones not T-Mobile or Google. Under the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) “local number portability” (LNP) rules, most of us can take our number with us when changing service providers. What would happen if we all just jumped ship to the competitor. Make us an offer competitor. “Causing adversed network disruption”?? Sounds like some playground bullying shi* to me. I say f*** Google to! What would happen if we all got onboard? YouMail would be back in a matter of days. With the current merger of T-Mobile, the last thing they need is “drop-off-a-cliff” decline in there stock. And while we’re at it…We want our monthly bill lowered by $15 per customer. Take that!! And this is what they get for screwing their customers.

MK Terra

WTF. What’s worse is T-Mobile’s own Visual Voicemail app has nonstop horrendous reviews on its reliability. Notifications coming days late, bogus notifications that won’t stop, etc. I would LOVE to use the app if it actually worked (and did toy with it briefly), but I don’t even DARE anymore for fear of not being able to switch back easily if things crap out.

Anonymous

Wow that is terrible, I have been a YouMail user on T-mobile for quite a while and that is absolutely terrible!

Giraffe

Streisand Effect.

http://twitter.com/WillieFDiazSF William Diaz ?

IM BARBARA STREISAND!!!

http://Facebook.com/jayrello JayRello

I think T-Mobile did that because the app takes away the potential customers that would want voicemail to text, but would never pay them for a service that they could get for free. Like using the app above.

Anonymous

why are people using this, when google voice is awesome?

Sherry

that sucks!!!! I LOVE YOUMAIL I LOST MY PHONE LAST NITE & HAVE TO USE ONE OF MY OLD PHONES AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR IT FOR ABOUT A HOUR. I AM STARTING TO HATE T MOBILE. UGGGGGHH I LOVE YOUMAIL. I CAN BLOCK PEOPLE FROM CALLING SEND THEM STRAIGHT TO VOICE MAIL

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